


we were young and learning

by horacethecorgi



Category: Shameless (TV), Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-26
Updated: 2013-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-13 01:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/818287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horacethecorgi/pseuds/horacethecorgi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a Tuesday morning when Ian shows up at his door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we were young and learning

Ian shows up at his door at three in the morning, on a Tuesday. He has a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and dark circles under his eyes. His lip is busted, his cheek is bruised, and he’s pale in the light of the streetlamps. Mickey is tempted to shut the door in his face. Instead he leans against the doorjamb, arms folded across his chest, and stares him down.

“What d’you want?”

Gallagher scratches at the back of his head, ruffling his short hair, and asks, “Is Mandy home?”

“No,” Mickey says and starts to close the door, but Ian shoves his foot in it.

“Where is she?”

“You don’t know? Oh wait, of course you don’t.”

“Mickey.”

“Gallagher.”

They stare at each other, waiting for the other to break, and finally Ian sighs. He bites at his bottom lip, splitting it open, and removes his foot from the door. Mickey makes no attempt to slam it in his face, only watches him. Ian sighs again.

“I fucked up,” he says and Mickey laughs, low and humorless.

“No shit.”

“I can’t go back, you know? I’m never allowed to enlist again.”

Against his better judgment, Mickey asks, “How long before they found out?”

Ian shrugs, duffle bag rustling against his coat. He avoids Mickey’s gaze, stares at the torn and filthy welcome mat instead. He can see a bit of blood between the _c_ and the _o_ and wonders whose it is. Mickey is still looking at him.

“About a year,” he mumbles, “Probably longer than they would have liked.”

“Is that why they let you off?”

“They were pretty embarrassed about it,” Ian admits and tries to smile, but it’s weak and folds in on itself.

Mickey sighs, shaking his head, and then steps away from the door. He heads for the kitchen to grab them a beer, snagging his pack of cigarettes on his way back to the front porch. Ian is still standing awkwardly in the doorway. Mickey closes the door behind him and then drags two of the beat up lawn chairs up the stairs for them to sit in. He offers Ian one of the beers and then a cigarette.

They sit there in silence, smoking and drinking. It’s almost like old times, but there’s this unsettling weight in the quiet. Ian chugs his beer and then drops his cigarette butt in the can. Mickey offers him another of both, but he only takes the cigarette. His fingers fumble with the lighter and he grunts in frustration, nearly throwing it to the ground before Mickey leans forward and lights it off of his own. It’s a quick and mindless thing that stops both of them.

Their faces are close and Ian can feel the puff of Mickey’s breath against his cheek. His eyes fall shut and his heart pounds a fierce beat. Mickey swallows hard, thinks _almost_ , but pulls away. He feels as if he’s been burned and they haven’t done anything more than share space and carelessly, casually touch hands. It’s fucking terrible and it _hurts_.

Mickey stands up, crushing his beer can and lobbing it out into the yard before opening the door. Ian remains sitting, staring at the street. Neither of them know what to say. The silence stretches on until Mickey finally steps inside, shutting the door. The click of the lock is loud in the early morning air and then it’s drowned out by a siren going off blocks away.

Ian gets to his feet, swings his duffle bag onto his shoulder, and heads for home.

**Author's Note:**

> i just wanted to write reunion fic where ian comes back and they don't immediately fall into the same pattern, but instead become friends and then begin to love each other again???? 
> 
> but then i took a wrong turn and couldn't be bothered to find my way back.


End file.
